The Poker Princess

Society speaks to the country’s top female professional poker player, Nikita Luther, who also serves as the COO of Poker Sports League (PSL)

- Payal Mehta

Nikita Luther, 26, is the woman who is bringing class and substance to the game of poker in India. Besides being a top female poker pro—a rarity in itself, she is also the Chief Operating Officer of Poker Sports League, a venture started by Amit Burman that aims to popularise poker as a mind skill game. From convincing her parents to convincing the country that poker is not gambling but a mind sport, the charming woman shows all her cards when talking about poker and how it has changed her life.

How did you start playing poker and decide to take it up as a profession? 

Poker started as a fun activity with friends. I realised then that the element of chance in poker was less while that of mathematics, strategy and psychology was huge and that it was actually a game of skills, something you had to apply your mind to. This is exactly what interested me because I had always loved the subject of mathematics. So, I thought if I sharpened my skills and the entire math element basically, I could actually take it up as a profession and even be good at it.

How did your folks react to your decision to take up poker professionally?